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Mega Boilerplate is a starter project generator that focuses on simplicity and ease of use, while providing you with flexibility of choices. It was heavily inspired by the Hackathon Starter, but unlike it, you can customize any part of your application stack — from web framework and database to CSS preprocessor and client-side JavaScript framework. Currently, generators are primarily limited to Node.js web apps, but I am planning to expand support for other platforms and languages in the near future.

Table of Contents

Getting Started

Prerequisites

  • Node.js 6.0
  • Git
  • Command Line Tools
  • Mac OS X: Xcode or xcode-select --install
  • Windows: Visual C++ Build Tools 2015
  • Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install build-essential
  • Fedora: sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"
  • OpenSUSE: sudo zypper install --type pattern devel_basis

Express

Download and extract the project. Then in your Terminal type the following:

$ cd megaboilerplate-app

# Install NPM dependencies
$ npm install

# Start the app
$ node server.js

# Express server listening on port 3000

Note: If you have selected Gulp or NPM build tool, you may also need to run npm run build command.

Note: If you have selected a database, please make sure it is up and running. For additional information, see Database Setup.

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Jekyll

Prerequisites

$ cd megaboilerplate-app

# Start Jekyll app
$ jekyll serve

# Server address: http://127.0.0.1:4000/
# Server running... press ctrl-c to stop.

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Middleman

Prerequisites

$ cd megaboilerplate-app

# Install Ruby dependencies
$ bundle install

# Start Middleman app
$ bundle exec middleman

# The Middleman is loading
# View your site at "http://localhost:4567"

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JS Library

This JavaScript library boilerplate was inspired and based on Dan Abramov's library-boilerplate project. The main idea here is you write your code in ES6, which then gets transpiled into CommonJS and UMD builds. Consider lodash as an example - a very popular JavaScript library that supports ES6 import, CommonJS require() and can be used inside a browser via <script> tag.

$ cd megaboilerplate-app

# Install NPM dependencies
$ npm install

# ES5 / CommonJS build
$ npm run build

# UMD build
$ npm run build:umd

# Run tests
$ npm test

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Database Setup

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MongoDB

Mac OS X

Install Homebrew package manager. Then follow the steps below to install and setup MongoDB.

# Update Homebrew's package database
$ brew update

# Install MongoDB
$ brew install mongodb

# Create the data directory
$ sudo mkdir -p /data/db

# Set permissions for the data directory
$ sudo chown -R `whoami` /data/db

# Run MongoDB Server
$ mongod

Windows

  1. Download and install the current stable release.
  2. Create the data directory: C:\data\db.
  3. Run MongoDB Server by opening mongod.exe in C:\Program Files\MongoDB\Server\3.2\bin.

Ubuntu

# Import the public key used by the package management system
$ sudo apt-key adv --keyserver hkp://keyserver.ubuntu.com:80 --recv EA312927

# Create a source list file for MongoDB
$ echo "deb http://repo.mongodb.org/apt/ubuntu trusty/mongodb-org/3.2 multiverse" | sudo tee /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mongodb-org-3.2.list

# Update the repository
$ sudo apt-get update

# Install the latest stable version of MongoDB
$ sudo apt-get install -y mongodb-org

# Start MongoDB service
$ sudo service mongod start

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MySQL

Use database settings below in the .env file.

Key Value
DB_HOST localhost
DB_USER root
DB_PASSWORD (use root password configured during installation or leave blank)
DB_NAME mysql

Mac OS X

Install Homebrew package manager. Then follow the steps below to install and start MySQL.

# Update Homebrew's package database
$ brew update

# Install MySQL
$ brew install mysql

# Start MySQL Server
$ mysql.server start

Windows

  1. Download MySQL Installer for Windows.
  2. Start the installer and follow instructions until the installation is complete.
  • When prompted, choose Server only or Developer Default setup type.

Note: Alternatively, you may use XAMPP, which already comes bundled with MySQL and phpMyAdmin.

Ubuntu

# Update the repository
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get upgrade

# Install MySQL
$ sudo apt-get install mysql-server

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PostgreSQL

Use database settings below in the .env file.

Key Value
DB_HOST localhost
DB_USER postgres
DB_PASSWORD (use root password configured during installation)
DB_NAME postgres

Mac OS X

Install Homebrew package manager. Then follow the steps below to install and start PostgreSQL.

# Update Homebrew's package database
$ brew update

# Install PostgreSQL
$ brew install postgres

# Start PostgreSQL Server
$ postgres -D /usr/local/var/postgres

Windows

  1. Download the latest version of PostgreSQL Installer.
  2. Start the installer and follow instructions until the installation is complete.

Ubuntu

# Update the repository
$ sudo apt-get update
$ sudo apt-get upgrade

# Install PostgreSQL
$ sudo apt-get install postgresql postgresql-contrib

SQLite

No additional steps required. Package sqlite3 will be automatically installed during npm install in Getting Started.

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Project Structure

Due to the nature of this project, there are too many possible project structure variations to list here. For the sake of simplicity, let's consider just the following project types:

Traditional Node.js Web App

This is perhaps the most straightforward web app type that does not use any client-side JavaScript frameworks or build tools. Is also the closest thing to Hackathon Starter project.

.
├── config/                    # Configuration files for OAuth, database, etc.
│   ├── passport.js/           # Passport strategies
├── controllers/               # Express route handlers
├── models/                    # Express database models
├── public/                            
│   ├── css/                   # Sass/LESS/PostCSS/CSS stylesheets (both source and generated)
│   ├── fonts/                 # Web fonts
│   ├── js/                    # Client-side JavaScript and third-party vendor files
├── views/                     # Templates
├── test/                      # Unit tests                    
├── .env                       # API keys, passwords, and other sensitive information
├── server.js                  # Express application
└── package.json               # NPM Dependencies and scripts

React App

The new hotness of the web — Universal JavaScript app, powered by React, Redux, React Router and Server Rendering.

Note: Some files were ommited like gulpfile.js and webpack.config.js.

.
├── app/                       # React application
│   ├── actions/               # Redux actions
│   ├── components/            # React components
│   ├── reducers/              # Redux reducers
│   ├── store/                 # Store initialization and configuration
│   ├── main.js                # Client-side app entry-point
│   ├── routes.js              # Universal application routes (React Router)
├── controllers/               # Express route handlers
├── models/                    # Express database models
├── public/                    
│   ├── css/                   # Sass/LESS/PostCSS/CSS stylesheets (both source and generated)
│   ├── fonts/                 # Font Awesome web fonts
│   ├── js/                    # Third-party vendor files and generated React app (bundle.js)
├── views/                    
│   ├── layout.jade            # Main container, into which React app is rendered
│   ├── loading.jade           # Loading spinner animation for OAuth 1.0 / 2.0 authentication flow inside a popup
├── .babelrc                   # Babel config
├── .env                       # API keys, passwords, and other sensitive information
├── server.js                  # Express application
└── package.json               # NPM Dependencies and scripts

AngularJS App

Your typical MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express, AngularJS, Node.js). Originally, I was not planning on adding AngularJS 1.x generator, especailly with Angular 2 around the corner. So without investing too much time, I kept it real simple: no Browserify, no ES6 classes, no AngularJS 1.5 components. Once officially released, Angular 2 generator will be more elaborate with quite a few additional options.

.
├── app/                       # Angular app directory
│   ├── controllers/           # Angular controllers
│   ├── partials/              # Angular view templates
│   ├── services/              # Angular services
│   ├── store/                 # Store initialization and configuration
│   ├── app.js                 # Main Angular app file
│   ├── index.html             # Main layout template
├── controllers/               # Express route handlers
├── models/                    # Express database models
├── public/                    
│   ├── css/                   # Sass/LESS/PostCSS/CSS stylesheets (both source and generated)
│   ├── js/                    # Compiled Angular app and third-party vendor files, e.g. angular.js, angular-route.js
├── .env                       # API keys, passwords, and other sensitive information
├── gulpfile.js                # Compiles Angular application and templates
├── server.js                  # Express application
└── package.json               # NPM Dependencies and scripts

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Obtaining API Keys

To use any of the included OAuth providers (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Google), you will need to obtain API keys. I have included "throw-away" API keys for all OAuth providers to get you up and running quickly, but be sure to update them with your own keys.

- Go to [Facebook Developers](https://developers.facebook.com/). - Click on **My Apps** dropdown, then select **Add a New App**. - Select **Website** platform, then click on **Skip and Create App ID** button. - Enter a **name** and choose a **category** for your app. - Click on **Create App ID** button. - Copy and paste **App ID** and **App Secret** keys into `.env` file: - `FACEBOOK_ID='YOUR_APP_ID'` - `FACEBOOK_SECRET='YOUR_APP_SECRET'` - Click on the **Settings** tab, then click on **+ Add Platform** button. - Select **Website**, then enter `http://localhost:3000/auth/facebook/callback` in the **Site URL**.

Note: If you are using React or AngularJS, copy and paste App Secret into .env file and App ID into app/actions/oauth.js (React) and app/app.js (AngularJS).

- Go to [Google Cloud Console](https://cloud.google.com/console/project) - Click on **Create project** button. - Enter a **Project name**, then click on **Create** button. - Click on **Use Google APIs** (Enable and manage APIs) panel. - Click on **Credentials** tab in the sidebar. - Client on **Create credentials** dropdown, then select **OAuth client ID**. - Select or enter the following: - **Application type**: `Web application` - **Authorized JavaScript origins**: `http://localhost:3000` - **Authorized redirect URIs**: `http://localhost:3000/auth/google/callback` - Click on **Create** button. - Copy and paste **client ID** and **client secret** keys into `.env` file: - `GOOGLE_ID='YOUR_CLIENT_ID'` - `GOOGLE_SECRET='YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET'`

Note: If you are using React or AngularJS, copy and paste client secret into .env file and client ID into app/actions/oauth.js (React) and app/app.js (AngularJS).

- Go to [Twitter Application Management](https://apps.twitter.com/). - Click on **Create New App** button. - Fill out required fields. - **Callback URL**: `http://127.0.0.1:3000/auth/twitter/callback` - Go to **Settings** tab. - Click on **Allow this application to be used to Sign in with Twitter** checkbox. - Click on **Update Settings** button. - Go to **Keys and Access Tokens** tab. - Copy and paste **Consumer Key** and **Consumer Secret** keys into `.env` file: - `TWITTER_ID='YOUR_CONSUMER_KEY'` - `TWITTER_SECRET='YOUR_CONSUMER_SECRET'`

Note: If you are using React or AngularJS, copy and paste Consumer Secret into .env file and Consumer Key into app/actions/oauth.js (React) and app/app.js (AngularJS).

- Go to [Developers | VK](http://new.vk.com/dev) - Click on **Create an Application** button. - Enter a **Title** and select a **Category** (Website), then click on **Connect Application** button. - Confirm activation code via your mobile number. - Click on **Settings** tab in the sidebar. - Select or enter the following: - **Application status**: `Application on and visible to all` - **Site address**: `http://localhost:3000` - **Authorized redirect URI**: `http://localhost:3000/auth/vkontakte/callback` - Copy and paste **Application ID** and **Secure key** into `.env` file: - `VK_ID='YOUR_APPLICATION_ID'` - `VK_SECRET='YOUR_SECURE_KEY'`

Note: If you are using React or AngularJS, copy and paste Secure key into .env file and Application ID into app/actions/oauth.js (React) and app/app.js (AngularJS).

- Go to [Github Developer Applications Settings](https://github.com/settings/developers) - Click on **Register a new application** button. - Fill out required fields. - **Application Name** - **Homepage URL** - **Callback URL**: `http://127.0.0.1:3000/auth/github/callback` - Click on **Register application** - Copy and paste **client ID** and **client secret** keys into `.env` file: - `GITHUB_ID='YOUR_CLIENT_ID'` - `GITHUB_SECRET='YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET'`

Note: If you are using React or AngularJS, copy and paste client secret into .env file and client ID into app/actions/oauth.js (React) and app/app.js (AngularJS).

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Learning Resources

Web Tools

Express

React / Redux

Performance and SEO

AngularJS

Jekyll

Middleman

JS Library

Bookshelf.js (SQL ORM)

Mongoose (MongoDB ODM)

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Cheatsheets

ES6 Cheatsheet

Declarations

Declares a read-only named constant.

const name = 'yourName';

Declares a block scope local variable.

let index = 0;

Template Strings

Using the `${}` syntax, strings can embed expressions.

const name = 'Oggy';
const age = 3;

console.log(`My cat is named ${name} and is ${age} years old.`);

Modules

To import functions, objects or primitives exported from an external module. These are the most common types of importing.

import name from 'module-name';
import * as name from 'module-name';
import { foo, bar } from 'module-name';

To export functions, objects or primitives from a given file or module.

export { myFunction };
export const name = 'yourName';
export default myFunctionOrClass

Spread Operator

The spread operator allows an expression to be expanded in places where multiple arguments (for function calls) or multiple elements (for array literals) are expected.

myFunction(...iterableObject);
<ChildComponent {...this.props} />

Promises

A Promise is used in asynchronous computations to represent an operation that hasn't completed yet, but is expected in the future.

var p = new Promise(function(resolve, reject) { });

The catch() method returns a Promise and deals with rejected cases only.

p.catch(function(reason) { /* handle rejection */ });

The then() method returns a Promise. It takes 2 arguments: callback for the success & failure cases.

p.then(function(value) { /* handle fulfillment */, function(reason) { /* handle rejection */ });

The Promise.all(iterable) method returns a promise that resolves when all of the promises in the iterable argument have resolved, or rejects with the reason of the first passed promise that rejects.

Promise.all([p1, p2, p3]).then(function(values) { console.log(values) });

Arrow Functions

Arrow function expression. Shorter syntax & lexically binds the this value. Arrow functions are anonymous.

singleParam => { statements }
() => { statements }
(param1, param2) => expression
const arr = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5];
const squares = arr.map(x => x * x);

Classes

The class declaration creates a new class using prototype-based inheritance.

class Person {
  constructor(name, age, gender) {
    this.name   = name;
    this.age    = age;
    this.gender = gender;
  }

  incrementAge() {
    this.age++;
  }
}

🎁 Credits: DuckDuckGo and @DrkSephy.

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JavaScript Date Cheatsheet

Unix Timestamp (seconds)

Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);

Add 30 minutes to a Date object

var now = new Date();
now.setMinutes(now.getMinutes() + 30);

Date Formatting

// DD-MM-YYYY
var now = new Date();

var DD = now.getDate();
var MM = now.getMonth() + 1;
var YYYY = now.getFullYear();

if (DD < 10) {
  DD = '0' + DD;
} 

if (MM < 10) {
  MM = '0' + MM;
}

console.log(MM + '-' + DD + '-' + YYYY); // 03-30-2016
// hh:mm (12 hour time with am/pm)
var now = new Date();
var hours = now.getHours();
var minutes = now.getMinutes();
var amPm = hours >= 12 ? 'pm' : 'am';

hours = hours % 12;
hours = hours ? hours : 12;
minutes = minutes < 10 ? '0' + minutes : minutes;

console.log(hours + ':' + minutes + ' ' + amPm); // 1:43 am

Next week Date object

var today = new Date();
var nextWeek = new Date(today.getTime() + 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);

Yesterday Date object

var today = new Date();
var yesterday = date.setDate(date.getDate() - 1);

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Deployment

Once you are ready to deploy your app, you will need to create an account with a cloud platform to host it. These are not the only choices you have, but they are my top picks.

Heroku

  • Download and install Heroku Toolbelt
  • In Terminal, run heroku login, then enter your Heroku credentials
  • Navigate to the megaboilerplate-app directory and run the following commands:
  1. git init
  2. git add .
  3. git commit -m 'Initial commit'

  • Then run heroku create to create a new Heroku app and link it with your current Git repository

    Creating app... done, ⬢ floating-mesa-51019
https://floating-mesa-51019.herokuapp.com/ | https://git.heroku.com/floating-mesa-51019.git

  • Run git push heroku master and you are done!

Note: If you have created a new app via Heroku Dashboard, you can link it with an existing Git repository by running:

heroku git:remote -a your-heroku-app-name

For more information, please visit Getting Started on Heroku with Node.js.

Heroku + PostgreSQL

Connecting to a Heroku Postgres database from outside of the Heroku network requires SSL. Furthermore, connection string given by Heroku (DATABASE_URL) does not have "?ssl=true" parameter by default.

The simplest solution is to add PGSSLMODE=require config var in the Heroku dashboard or via CLI: heroku config:set PGSSLMODE=require.

TODO: Deployment instructions for SQL and MongoDB databases. (Heroku Postgres, Compose, MongoLab)

Microsoft Azure

  • Sign in to your account at Azure Portal
  • Click on App Services, then click on Add button
  • Enter an App name for your app and create or select an existing Resource Group
  • Click on Create button and give it 15-20 seconds
  • Find and select your app under App Services
  • In the right-hand Settings sidebar, find and click on Deployment source
  • Under Choose Source select Local Git Repository, then press OK
  • Alternatively, you can choose GitHub to sync Azure with a GitHub repository for continous deployment
  • Right below Deployment source, click on Deployment credentials and create new username and password, then hit Save
  • Still inside Settings sidebar, find and click on Properties located under General settings
  • Copy Git URL, e.g. https://[email protected]:443/appname.git
  • Navigate to the megaboilerplate-app directory and run the following commands:
  1. git init
  2. git add .
  3. git commit -m 'Initial commit'
  4. git remote add azure https://[email protected]:443/appname.git
  • Note: Use your Git URL from above
  • Run git push azure master, and when prompted, enter your password created under Deployment credentials
  • All set!

Digital Ocean

TODO

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FAQ

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React

Actions, reducers, stores, containers, provider...what? ಠ_ರೃ

Despite being such a small library, Redux can be difficult to grasp for beginners. It took me almost three days until Redux "clicked" for me, even with my prior experience of working with React and Flux. Here is a TL;DR: summary:

Concept Description
Actions Your application events, e.g. fetch data from server. Success and failure events of data fetching could also be actions. Actions are just plain JavaScript objects. They typically have some data associated with it. For example, LOGIN_ERROR action may contain an error message. Actions describe the fact that something happened, but don't specify how the application’s state changes in response. This is the job of a reducer.
Reducers Basically your action handlers, internally implemented via Array.prototype.reduce(). This is where you specify how should the application state be updated when LOGIN_ERROR action is dispatched, for example. And that's it. How that state affects your application should still be managed in your components. One thing to note, you never mutate the state, but rather create a new copy of your current state + new changes using Object.assign().
Store Brings actions and reducers together. Store holds entire application state, allows you access current state via getState(), and update application state via dispatch(action). You typically have just one Redux store that is configured during the inital bootstrap stage.
Provider Syntactic sugar from react-redux library. <Provider> component wrapper makes the Redux store available to the connect() function. Alternatively, you can manually pass store as a prop to every connect()ed component. connect() is another syntactic sugar provided by react-redux which connects a React component to a Redux store. Alternatively, you can manually subscribe/unsubscribe to/from a store during componentDidMount() and componentDidUnmount() lifecycle of each component.
Container So-called smart components that are aware of Redux, whereas traditional components are now considered dumb components, which are not aware of Redux; they just render markup with given props. I intentionally combined containers and components into simply — components for the sake of simplicity.

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Backers

Support us with a monthly donation and help us continue our activities. [Become a backer]

Sponsors

Become a sponsor and get your logo on our website and on our README on Github with a link to your site. [Become a sponsor]

Sites Built with Mega Boilerplate

If you have built an app using Mega Boilerplate, please enter yourself here by sending a pull request.

Changelog

1.1.0 (June 10, 2016)

  • Added Stylus CSS preprocessor support when no CSS Framework is selected.
  • Generate README.md for each boilerplate with selected choices.
  • Enabled Webpack hot module replacement for Redux reducers.
  • Updated React 15.0.2 to 15.1.0.
  • Removed unused lodash require() in the user controller.
  • Improved responsive design of login and signup container (Bootstrap).
  • Fixed indentation inside profile update controller (SQL).
  • Hide password field when calling toJSON() method on user model (Bookshelf.js / SQL).
  • Fixed a bug where an error was thrown after user updates their profile (SQL only).
  • Fixed invalid file path for Bootstrap CSS/JS imports inside layout.jade.
  • knexfile.js is no longer generated twice.
  • Updated Redux learning resources section in README.
  • Added special instructions to "Obtaining API Keys" section for React / AngularJS.

1.0.0 (June 8, 2016)

  • Initial release.

Contributing

Pull requests from beginners and seasoned JavaScript developers are welcome! As it stands, Mega Boilerplate is pretty large in scope to be maintained by a single person, so I am asking for your help to contribute where you can, whether it's a small fix in README or adding a whole new generator type, e.g. Meteor, Angular 2, React Native, Electron.

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MIT

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